Mind Over Matter
by epilogue08
Summary: In spite of an important mission coming up for the Kantou Library Task Force, Iku can't concentrate on anything other than the fact that Dojo turned out to be her prince.
1. Chapter 1

**Mind Over Matter**

_*Note: This story may contain some spoilers from the light novels._

**Summary:** In spite of an important mission coming up for the Kantou Library Task Force, Iku can't concentrate on anything other than the fact that Dojo turned out to be her prince.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Library wars.

**Chapter 1:**

Like many other mornings, most of the task force members in the Kantou Library force minded their own business as an uptight squad leader lectures at his scatter-brained subordinate. Off at the side, Komaki sat comfortably in his chair as he watched the entertaining duo in front of him, sipping coffee every few minutes.

Like always, Iku had messed up on some kind of deskwork job, and like always, Dojo would lecture her, and _most of the time_, she would talk back and they would argue like cats and dogs.

This time was slightly different though. Iku had only recently realized the truth about her prince, and the awkwardness between her and her boss has not subsided just yet. She tried to look for a chance to interrupt him and get into his good graces before he starts ranting non-stop.

"Ahh, would you like some chamomile tea, sir?", Kasahara spoke with a nervous smile. "Some of that _good night_ tea would calm you down."

Dojo glared at her. "You blockhead! Wipe that stupid grin off your face! You think this is a joke? I know deskwork is not your speciality, but this is ridiculous! Get back to your table and redo it!" He handed the stack of papers back to her. "Don't even _think_ about taking a break until you've fixed every single _stupid_ mistake you made."

Feeling utterly dejected, Kasahara muttered a 'Yes, Sir' and went back to her seat. As soon as she was out of earshot, Komaki let out a small chuckle and stride over to Dojo. "Can't you be a little easier on her? You're not being very princely."

"I'm not trying to be." Dojo looked up at Komaki with a glare. "And don't you remember her interview? The person _she_ remembers is a crowned prince wearing pumpkin pants riding on a white horse with a golden saddle." Dojo sat down heavily on his chair and muttered, "It's embarrassing just thinking about it."

Komaki laughed at the memory. Tired from shouting at Kasahara, Dojo took a sip of water from his cup. His frown deepened. "She's never going to remember me, so might as well just forget about that stupid story."

Komaki stopped laughing for once and looked at Dojo thoughtfully. "I don't know about that," he muttered. He was aware of that fact that Kasahara had known the truth for a while. In fact, he was the one who had comforted her when she was practically on the verge of breaking down. Of course, that was all kept a secret from Dojo.

Dojo looked up at Komaki. "Did you say something?" Komaki shook his head and smiled mysteriously, yet again.

Picking up a pile of folders and flipping them through, Dojo sighed. "At least she won't be doing deskwork for the next couple of days. We do have that huge mission coming up after all." He suddenly looked up, as a thought suddenly crossed his mind. "Ugh, I forgot to remind that blockhead about the task force meeting we have later." Grumbling to himself, he stood up abruptly and marched over to find his absent-minded subordinate.

Komaki just sat down and watched with the ever-present smile on his face. _Oblivious people sure are fun._

_Especially those two._

_*Note: It was mentioned in the 4th novel that Chamomile tea (also known as 'good night tea') is said to have a calming effect. Also, this story doesn't necessarily take place during or after the 4th novel._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

"Let me guess. You had to stay late because you did something stupid again." Shibasaki's all-knowing gaze was concentrated as Iku as she staggered into their room. Iku looked at least ten times more worn out than usual as she sat down beside the kotatsu in the middle of their room.

Shibasaki, who was drying her hair, playfully pointed the hairdryer at the face of her exhausted roommate. "So what did you do this time? Mess up deskwork? Misplaced a stack of library books? Insulted your superior officer?" There was a hint of evil in Shibasaki's smile as she made the last suggestion.

Iku, suddenly reminded about her prince, scowled and glared at Shibasaki. "Don't mention him! I want to take a break from all my problems right now!"

"Avoiding your problems never help."

"But it gives me more time to think about how to resolve the problem."

Shibasaki laughed in a carefree manner that seemed to make Iku's mood even worse. "I don't think it works that way."

Iku smacked her head on the table, then stood up abruptly, muttering something about getting a drink.

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Iku sat on the couch in the lounging area of the dorm, with her eyes closed in exhaustion. No matter how hard she tries, she just can't stop thinking about her prince.

The meeting of a hero who had helped her during a time of trouble…it had been deeply etched to Iku's mind. Blindly chasing after a person she had only met once would normally be considered insane, but Iku was that kind of person.

She had wanted to join the Library Defence Force because she wanted to chase after her prince; to find out his identity. She hasn't given much thought as to _how_ she was going to find him though. But that wasn't even the problem anymore.

Iku sighed. _I already found him. Now what? It's not like I can tell him that I know! Not after all those embarrassing things I said about my prince! _

Even if Iku hadn't figured out her prince's real identity, she'd never, in a million years, imagine that it would be _Instructor Dojo_ of all people.

Iku's memory of faces were terrible, and she herself realized that. She couldn't remember how her prince looked like; or what his voice sounded like.

All she remembered, was that hearing the voice of her lifesaver had cleared the clouds of doubt, fear, and confusion in her mind.

_"Kasahara."_

Just like that. That tone of voice. In more than one occasion, hearing Instructor Dojo's voice had cleared her mind; it helped her concentrate. Just like the voice of her prince. Why hadn't she realized it before?

"Kasahara!"

Iku, who was not expecting anyone to walk by, jumped at the unexpected sound. Dojo came up from behind her, so he did not see the look of horror that appeared on Iku's face. He was, however, aware of the way her shoulders tensed up, and how she had to stop herself from turning around quickly. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. It was as if she were avoiding him.

"Instructor Dojo!" At that moment, Dojo couldn't stop himself from over-thinking and analyzing the actions of his subordinate. There was a fake smile on her face, and her tone of voice seemed to suggest that she was horrified instead of surprised to see him.

"I-I was just going to buy a drink!" Iku stuttered. "Uh…"

Dojo was looking at her attentively, like he was analyzing every movement.

"Is everything alright? You didn't respond the first time I called you." Even though it was rude, Iku couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye as he spoke.

"O-oh, it was nothing, Sir. Just spacing out, I guess. Nothing important." Iku stole a glance at Dojo, and gulped at the disbelieving look on his face.

Dojo sighed before moving on to another topic. "There is a Task Force meeting tomorrow morning. It was supposed to be today, but due to complications, it was postponed to tomorrow. The meeting is…"

Iku was only half listening as he continued on, relieved that _he _at least seems to be acting normal. She mentally slapped herself for being so distracted, and managed to tune back in to hear the end of his speech. "Tezuka had already been informed by Komaki. I was supposed to tell you today, but then I got information about it being postponed. After that, I got distracted by the quality of the deskwork files that you had re-submitted…"

Iku was still feeling slightly nervous, and wanted to leave as soon as possible. Minimum contact with Dojo would mean less risks of him realizing the truth, after all. She was about to make up an excuse for her to leave, when she became aware of other people entering the room. Turning her head, she realized it was Komaki and Tezuka.

Komaki took one glance at Iku's flushed cheeks and Dojo's slightly annoyed face and immediately smirked. "Ah, Kasahara-san, Dojo, are we intruding?" Tezuka seemed confused as to why Komaki would ask such a question with such a playful tone of voice.

Dojo glared at him. "Of course not. I was just telling Kasahara not to be late for the meeting about the mission."

Iku, who had been spacing out when he was speaking, turned to stare at him. "Mission?"

"You blockhead! I just told you about this two minutes ago!" Dojo's face was starting to turn red, but most likely due to anger.

"O-oh! _That_ mission!" Iku pretended to understand, though the other three people saw through her lie instantly.

Komaki's chuckling suddenly subsided as a more serious expression appeared on his face. "Don't be late for that meeting. There are many things we have to cover, including our strategies and safety precautions."

Dedicated and keen as usual, Tezuka was quick to respond. "We don't usually spend much that time going over the safety issues. Is this mission especially dangerous?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you right now. Everything will be explained at the meeting tomorrow." Komaki's grim answer made Tezuka even more worried.

Dojo sighed. "If we're done here, then go sleep. We have a long day tomorrow." With that, he turned and briskly walked away. Iku turned to him, mouth agape as if she intended to say something, but stopped herself. _What did I think I was going to say?_

She turned her attention back to Komaki and Tezuka, only to realize that they were gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

When Iku's alarm clock rang earlier than usual, she angrily slammed a hand on it, only to knock it off the table after turning off the alarm. The _thud_ was especially loud in the silent room, snapping Iku out of her half-asleep state. Grumbling in frustration, Iku bent down to pick it up. _What a great way to start the day._

Since Iku had discovered her prince's real identity, she hasn't been able to sleep well. Sometimes, during the night, she would toss and turn, thinking about all the embarrassing things she had said to Dojo. Other times, she had to resist the urge to smack her head against the wall repeatedly in order to punish herself, only to end up mentally screaming at her own stupidity.

Iku yawned, and was on the verge of surrendering to the temptation of snuggling back under the warm blankets. But suddenly remembering about the Task Force meeting Dojo had told her about, she rushed to get ready.

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As soon as she entered the Task Force office, Dojo's voice lashed out at her, as it would almost every day. "Kasahara, you're almost late! The meeting starts in two minutes!"

Iku cringed. _And to think I wanted to come earlier, so I can avoid him._ She automatically lifted her hand in a salute. "I'm sorry, sir!"

Dojo frowned, noticing that the dark circles he had seen under her eyes yesterday had gotten worse. But knowing that they were almost late, he said nothing about it.

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During the meeting, Iku found herself unable to concentrate. Dojo was sitting directly behind her, making her feel self-conscious and uneasy. Komaki seemed to notice her behaviour, seeing that he kept one hand over his mouth to hide his smiles and chuckles. Tezuka's attention was focused on Inamine, Hikoe and Genda as they give the details of the mission.

Dojo noticed her fidgety actions, and tapped her on the shoulder to remind her to pay attention, which only made her even more nervous and distracted. The meeting was about an hour long, but Iku had spent most of that time brainstorming ways to prevent Dojo from figuring anything out.

"Only the Task Force will be going on this mission. If there is ever a need for reinforcements, then the Defence Force be dispatched by helicopter. " While Hikoe was wrapping up the meeting, Iku managed to pay attention for the first time.

"To avoid unnecessary attention from the media, the Task Force will be travelling by bus. The list of the teams, which will be lead by Genda and Dojo, are given to each squad leader. Please go over the details, and be ready for the mission tomorrow morning. Dismissed."

_Team? What team?_ Iku stared blankly at him, having completely no idea of the situation. _And the mission is tomorrow?! An earlier warning would've been nice._

By the time everyone in Dojo's squad gathered together, Iku still hasn't figured out what was going on. Dojo took one look at her, and frowned. "Kasahara, you weren't listening at all, were you?"

Iku blushed in embarrassment, but it was also because of Dojo's intense stare. "N-N-No. I-I'm sorry, sir!" Even in her panicky state, Iku had enough sense to know that lying in this situation would definitely _not_ help.

"When you apologize to someone, at least look at them in the eye! It's basic manners, you blockhead!"

"Dojo, relax." Once again, the kind Komaki had come to Iku's rescue, saving her from the anger of her prince. Iku blinked and raised her eyebrows at her own thought. _If this were a different situation, I probably would have laughed at the irony. _

_Because if I don't laugh, I'll probably cry._

Komaki continued. "Instead of yelling at Kasahara-san, why don't we just summarize the meeting for her? Then we can go over the details and any questions we have."

Dojo and Tezuka both sighed at the same time. _Those two really are alike,_ Iku thought, half amused.

Komaki turned to Iku. "Kasahara-san, have you watched the news lately? Or read the newspaper?"

Iku gulped. The only thing she had been doing for the past couple of days was thinking about her prince. Komaki smiled, though whether it was in understanding or due to amusement, Iku would probably never know.

Tezuka frowned and crossed his arms. "Are you always this ignorant of things that go on around you?" Since her superior officers were present, Iku had to resist the urge to talk back to him.

Not giving her a chance to answer Tezuka's question, Dojo started speaking in a serious manner. This time, Iku pushed away any distracting thoughts and paid full attention to him.

"A few days ago, some extremely rare books were discovered in old bookstores in the countryside. Some of them are first editions signed by the original author. You can imagine just how valuable they are." Iku's eyes widened in surprise. _How can I not know about this?_

Dojo continued. "Originally, the plan was for the closest library there, the Murazato Library, to take them for safekeeping. The MBC has to be kept in the dark about all of this, because almost all of the rare books are on their list of books to seize. But obviously, there was a leak somewhere, and now it's all over the news."

Iku nodded, but was as confused as ever. _What does that have to do with us?_

Even without voicing the question, Dojo went on to answer it. "This meeting was postponed because of new information we had received. The defence of the Murazato Library force is not strong enough to evade the MBC. And that's where we come in. Our Task Force was asked to help them in transporting the books to a safer place. There are a lot of other undecided factors that the higher-ups need to discuss, including the permanent place for the books. But the possibility that the MBC will attack Murazato Library within the next few days is extremely high, so _for now_, we will be bringing the books back to our own library to keep them safe."

Iku was struggling to absorb all the information that Dojo was giving.

Dojo wasn't finished though. "If everything goes according to our plan, then this mission should only be about two or three days long. Because in addition to transporting the books here safely, we also have to help the Murazato Library Defence Force get ready for their first battle."

Seeing the look on her face, Komaki chuckled. "Kasahara-san, don't let your head overheat from the amount of information."

Dojo was quick to respond. "Komaki, this is basic information; she needs to know this! Anyways, she should have been paying attention in the first place!"

"Um, Instructor Dojo, Instructor Komaki," Tezuka daringly interrupted his superior officers. "I think there are some information that we still need to go over. The list of the teams…"

"Right." Dojo stopped glaring at Iku, and took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. "The battle plan for this mission will be slightly different. If the MBC decide to attack while we're there, the Task Force will be split into two teams. One team will be defending from the attack along with the Murazato Library Defence Force, and the other team will be guarding and transporting the books away from the library."

Dojo examined the paper he held in his hands before continuing. "And it seems like the team you are assigned to does not depend on what squad you are in. Kasahara," Dojo looked up at Iku, "You're in Team One, in charge of transporting the books. Tezuka, Komaki and I are in Team Two."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Iku stared in disbelief. "Why am I the only one in a different team?! And why not the team in charge of defence?"

Komaki, seeing the frown on Dojo's face, decided to answer her for him. "Kasahara-san, calm down. I'm sure it's because you're one of the fastest runners on the force, not because you're incapable of defending."

Dojo cleared his throat. "Major Genda will be leading the team which will be transporting the books from the Murazato Library to our own library base. Meanwhile, I will be in charge of the defence team. But just to make things clear, this battle plan will _only_ be used if the MBC decides to attack while we're on this mission. Everything that will happen _after_ we complete this mission will be decided by the higher-ups later."

Tezuka nodded in understanding while Iku was too stubborn to give up.

"That isn't fair! Who was the one that thought up this plan?"

"_Kasahara!_" Iku flinched from the fury in Dojo's voice, and cast her eyes down in frustration as he continued. "If this is what the Major and the Commander decided, then this is what we'll follow! No questions about it."

And with that, the meeting ended.

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That evening, Komaki went to Dojo's room with a pack of beer, fully intending to question him about a certain female Task Force member. As soon as they sat down, he went straight to the point.

"Are you upset because you're not in the same team as your little princess?"

Dojo choked on his beer when he heard Komaki's completely random question. "Excuse me?!"

Komaki was smiling as usual, but in a way that was difficult to tell what he was thinking. "You're sulking because Kasahara-san is in Major Genda's team and not yours. But don't worry, as long as the MBC doesn't attack during our mission, you can stay with your princess as long as you want."

By the time Komaki finished, even Dojo's ears were flushed red. He turned around and stubbornly muttered, "I don't understand what you're talking about."

Komaki smirked as he drank from his can of beer. _So you're only pretending to be oblivious, huh._

There was a sudden knock on the door. Dojo, thankful for the distraction, quickly went to open the door. It was Tezuka, holding a few cans of beer. Apparently, he and Komaki had developed the same habit of bringing drinks with them whenever they went to Dojo's room.

"Officer Dojo, Officer Komaki." Tezuka greeted his superiors. "I have something I want to talk to you about…"

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"I can't really tell. Are you training, or are you venting your anger?" Shibasaki nonchalantly asked her roommate.

Iku had been doing push-ups for the last ten minutes or so, and she didn't look like she was going to stop anytime soon. She scowled. "I thought you were the smart one. Figure it out yourself!"

An amused look came across Shibasaki's face. "My, my. Looks like _someone's_ in a horrible mood. Is it because of the battle plan for the Task Force meeting?"

Iku didn't answer her, nor did she question the matter of _how_ Shibasaki got her hands on that information. Although she could've continued with the push-ups, she gave up and sat down, leaning against the side of the bed. Staring into space, she started questioning her own emotions.

_Why am I angry? Is it because I'm not on the defence team? Maybe because I'm not in Instructor Dojo's tea-No, no no. Of course not. Why would I want to be in his team anyway? If I stay further away, he won't realize that I know he's…the prince. That's a good thing._

Iku couldn't bring herself to say '_my _prince'.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

"Kasahara-san, do you mind if I sit next to you?"

Iku looked up to see Komaki smiling down at her from where she sat on the bus.

It was very early in the morning, and the sky was still somewhat dark. Iku, who was still feeling very sleepy, nodded and mumbled "sure", shifting closer to the window in order to give him space.

"Have you packed everything you need for this mission? Including your tent?" Komaki chuckled as he sat down. "You know we won't be able to stay in a dorm this time."

The Murazato Library was still rather new compared to other libraries, and their dorms would not be able to accommodate the entire Kantou Library Task Force. Since it was right beside a rather dense forest, it was decided, by Genda, of course, that the Task Force would _camp out_ during their mission. Iku groaned. _Leave it to Major Genda to come up with solutions and this is what you get. And no one even bothers to complain about it._

Although Iku, as the only female Task Force member, can stay in the female dormitory, it would be more efficient for her if she camped out with the rest of the force.

She smiled warily. "I've got everything with me, Instructor Komaki."

Komaki nodded, and was silent for a few seconds before he brought up a topic Iku would rather not talk about.

"How are things going with you and Dojo?"

"Wh-What…?" Iku, no longer feeling sleepy, had to resist shouting at her own instructor out of bashfulness.

"He already knows you're acting strange. When you talk to him, instead of thinking about him as your prince, you should talk to him normally. You know what I mean?"

Komaki hasn't spoken very loud, since he had a very quiet voice for someone in his career. But Iku couldn't help but look around to make sure that no one heard what he said. Especially _him_. Thankfully, the other Task Force members were being extremely rowdy, and Iku let out a sigh of relief.

With her face completely red, she turned back to Komaki. She was about to respond, when he stood up rather abruptly.

At the front of the bus, Dojo was about to sit down next to Genda, since that was the only seat available at this point.

Komaki casually called out to him. "Dojo, switch spots with me. There's something I need to speak about with the Major."

At first, Iku frowned in confusion. _Since when did Instructor Komaki ever want to sit next to Major Genda? Everyone knows he takes up more space than the average person._

But following that thought was the realization that she had to sit next to Dojo.

Out of everyone she could've sat next to, it had to be _Dojo_.

Iku, for the first time, felt something like suspicion towards Komaki. _Is he doing this on purpose?_ But that idea quickly disappeared when she saw Dojo heading towards her.

_Maybe I should try smacking my head on the wall to see if I can knock myself out._

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As soon as the Task Force arrived near the Murazato Library grounds, Iku had to fight off the urge to run off the bus screaming in relief. For her, the bus ride had been _anything_ but enjoyable. But at the same time, she was worried about what Dojo was thinking.

_Did I seem like I really didn't want to talk to him? Maybe he misunderstood and thought I didn't want to sit next to him either! _ She nervously glanced at him, then quickly turned away when she realized he was looking at her with a frown. _He's definitely angry!_

Komaki smiled in delight, as usual. During the bus ride, he had been keeping an eye on Iku and Dojo. Major Genda didn't have much of an interest in spying at first, but when he realized how awkward things are between his subordinates, he smirked in amusement and joined Komaki.

Now that everyone had unloaded their bags from the bus, Major Genda started barking out orders. "Get in your squads! Just to warm up for this mission, we're going to hike to the grounds behind the library!" He grinned excitedly as he mentioned the hike.

Tezuka raised his eyebrows at Major Genda's plan. "Wouldn't it be much more efficient to drive to the library?"

Komaki laughed before answering. "This is Major Genda we're talking about, Tezuka. And it's almost evening, the MBC won't attack at this time. Also, if the MBC have intelligence troops keeping an eye on the library, they might not notice us entering from the back."

Tezuka didn't seem very convinced at Komaki's explanation, but he knew better than to directly challenge one of his superior officer's strategies.

Since the library was beside a mountain in the countryside, the hike was similar to the one the Task Force had completed during their training. Iku had no trouble keeping up with the squad, seeing that this hike was easier and much shorter in distance.

The Task Force arrived at their destination faster than they had anticipated. Seeing a small clearing hidden behind the library, Genda enthusiastically declared it to be their camp ground. He then proceeded to give orders.

"Unpack your gears, then set up the tents! Get moving!" Genda chuckled before continuing. "Don't worry; I did some research before-hand. There aren't any bears here, so don't get all worked up from worrying!"

Most of the force members started laughing as Iku and Dojo simultaneously glared at the Major.

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Before going to sleep, the Task Force helped clean up the library in addition to storing the rare books away, while Major Genda, along with some other officials, met with the director of the Murazato Library to discuss their plans.

Iku tried to keep herself busy to avoid talking to Dojo. Any questions she had, she addressed them to Komaki. When Komaki wasn't in sight, she'd ask Tezuka instead of Dojo. More than once, she was aware of his glare on her, which sent shivers up her spine in fear and nervousness.

Her plan of avoiding Dojo until the next day almost succeeded, but it backfired when Komaki deliberately asked the two of them to bring some books to the stack room.

_Instructor Komaki! _Iku glared at him, not wanting to retort to her superior officer. Or rather, her _other_ superior officer, since arguing with Dojo was something she does every day. _He's definitely doing this on purpose!_

Dojo picked up a box of books and started heading towards the stack room entrance, not bothering to wait for Iku. She hurriedly picked up the other box and followed him.

Seeing Dojo walking away like he was angry made Iku even more anxious.

_What am I going to do?_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

During the night, Iku kept tossing and turning. She couldn't stop thinking about how Dojo seemed to be giving her the silent treatment. He was angry because she was deliberately avoiding him; that much she understands.

_But what am I supposed to do? I don't even know how I'm supposed to explain why I'm acting the way I am!_

The next time she opened her eyes, it was almost morning. She blinked sleepily, trying to remember when she had fallen asleep. Oh yes, it was when she was thinking about the time she and Dojo were alone in the stack room. Several times, she had tried to talk to him. But each time, she either lost the nerves to do so, or he would casually brush her off. Iku sighed, and had decided to just give him some space to cool down.

Looking at her watch, she realized it was almost time for the Task Force to be up. She decided it would be better to get ready now that she was awake, knowing there would be no more time to sleep.

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The Task Force had finished properly packing away the rare books that were to be delivered to the Kantou Library. The only thing left to do was to carry them onto the buses. But since the higher-ups still needed time to go over formalities, they were also asked to continue helping the Murazato Library in cleaning and in administrative duties.

Throughout the morning, Iku continued to avoid Dojo. Just like the day before, if she had questions, she'd talk to someone else about it.

She picked up the next book she needed to shelve, then realized she had absolutely no idea where to put it. Looking around, she also realized that Komaki and Tezuka were nowhere to be seen.

In fact, there was no one else in the area where Iku was shelving books, save for one person. Iku groaned, thinking it must be her unlucky day, because the one person who is present also happens to be Dojo.

_Great, now I have no choice but to talk to him._

She cautiously walked over to where he was, trying to act as normal as possible. "Um, Instructor Dojo…"

Dojo snapped his head up and glared at her, causing Iku to step back in surprise. "Oh, so _now_ you talk to me?!"

Iku blinked and starred at him for a second before replying. "Wh-why are you so angry all of a sudden?!"

"Why shouldn't I be angry?! On the bus, you kept acting like you didn't even want to talk to me! Then you spent the rest of the day ignoring me. If I did something to offend you, then _say so_. Don't act like a little kid and ignore people like that!"

Hearing Dojo's angry outburst had surprised Iku at first, but now that shock had been replaced by fury.

"Excuse me?! Don't call me a kid, I'm an adult too, you know! And if anyone's acting like a kid right now, it's you!" Iku couldn't help but to retort. _I'm avoiding you because I don't know how to talk to you! You expect me to tell you that?!_

"Show some respect! Don't talk back to your superior officer, idiot! _I can't stand people like that_!"

Iku froze in shock. Hearing those words out of the blue was like a sudden punch to the stomach. Even Dojo himself looked surprised at what he just said.

"I-instructor Do-" Iku started, but stopped herself, not knowing what it was that she herself wanted to say. Dojo looked away.

Iku was deciding what she should say to him when a sudden _beep_ was heard from the PA system, followed by an urgent announcement.

_"Attention! Movement of MBC troops have been spotted near the vicinity of the library grounds. Patrons in and around the library are to be evacuated ASAP! Defence force members are to get into position immediately!"_

Neither Iku nor Dojo responded to the announcement right away, not after the quarrel they just had. But Dojo was quick to recover.

"Kasahara, you know the drill this time. Get in your team." After his stern order, he quickly walked away.

Iku could hear a lot of people running around, frantic to get out of the library or to get into their positions. She blinked a few times, realizing that she couldn't see clearly because of the tears in her eyes. After wiping them away, she looked back at the place where Dojo was just standing a few seconds ago. She quickly raised one hand in a salute, and muttered, "Yes, Sir."

_This isn't the time to cry! I have a mission to complete._

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Iku could barely hear even Major Genda's voice over the sound of the machine guns. Instead, she just concentrated on loading all the boxes of books into the bus. They were behind schedule, since the MBC troops had arrived before they were completely ready, and it had caused some confusion between the Task Force Members.

They were at the back of the library, hidden by the surrounding trees. The defence forces at the front were holding off the MBC troops, but were starting to run out of ammunition. It was evident even to Iku that if they didn't have reinforcements, they would lose.

After dropping several boxes of books into the back of the bus, she tried to ignore the frantic feeling she had. All of a sudden, she heard Genda shout.

_"We're missing one box of books! Where is it?!"_

The troops looked around desperately before coming to the realization that they had left it behind in the library. Genda swore angrily and grabbed the radio, only to realize it was broken.

After making a quick decision, he turned around to address his team.

"Minor change of plans, troops! We need someone to return to the library and retrieve the box we left behind. Kasahara!" Genda turned to her. "You're the fastest. Go back and get it!"

Iku looked at him in confusion. "By myself?!"

"We can't send too many people, or we'll be seen. But if you're worried," Genda randomly pointed to two more people, "You two! Go with her! And take these guns with you just in case." He shoved the guns into the arms of the two Task Force Members, but didn't give one to Iku, since she'd have her hands full if she were to carry both the box and the gun. "Off you go!"

Because of the time constraint, Iku didn't have time to decide the safest way to return to the library. Since she was a fast runner, if she were to come across MBC troops, she'd have no choice but to run.

Following Genda's orders, she quickly ran towards the direction of the library, her head overcrowded with worries.

_Even if I make it back with the last box of books, will we be able to escape from the MBC?_

_What about the Task Force members in the defence team?_

_If we don't have reinforcements, we'll lose._

_What about Instructor Dojo?_

_Is _he _okay?_

The only thing she could do now, was to concentrate on her task.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Iku barely dodged the bullets as she ran through the trees. She had already received several cuts from when the bullets skimmed past her skin. _Ugh, where are the defence troops when you actually need them?!_

The two other Task Force members that Genda had sent had followed her to the library back door, where Iku rushed in to grab the last box of books. Unfortunately, several MBC troops had made their way to the back of the library, and the two people who followed her had acted as bait so she would be able to escape with the books.

But because they were outnumbered, two MBC troops managed to go after Iku, and is currently shooting at her despite knowing that she had no way to defend herself. They were hot on her trails, and she had no choice but to take a detour back to Genda's team.

She ran in zigzag patterns, which proved to be a difficult task considering the fact that she was in a forest. Several times, she had almost tripped over tree roots, and the box of books she was carrying didn't make the situation any easier.

Iku was getting tired, and her vision started becoming blurry. _Great, just when I thought it can't get any worse. I gotta concentrate!_

She arrived at a small clearing in the forest, and quickly avoided it. Although the trees made it difficult for her to run, it also served as a shield at the same time. Seeing a cliff in front of her, she paused for a second and listened for the sound of guns or footsteps. It was silent.

Iku bent over, trying to catch her breath. If she went down the cliff, she would arrive back to Genda's team quicker. Cautiously, she peeked over the ledge. The ground wasn't that far down, but if she fell from the top, she could still get injuries. She frowned, and started debating with herself about what to do.

Without warning, a bullet skimmed right past her head. Before she could react, more bullets were shot at her direction, several of which came too close for comfort. She balanced the box under her left arm and continued running along the crag.

But when a bullet suddenly hit her arm, she lost her footing and tumbled down the cliff, head first.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

"Dojo, more ammunition arrived!" Komaki called out to him in the midst of the battle. Both sides were firing at the other without stopping, and the Task Force, along with the defence force of the Murazato Library, were starting to run out of ammunition. They had already called for reinforcements, though they would have to wait for a while longer.

"How long till the reinforcements arrive?!" Dojo asked with a scowl.

"A while longer. Be patient, Dojo." Komaki glanced sideways at him. "Are you worried about Kasahara-san? I'm sure she's fine. Major Genda's team has guns with them just in case."

Dojo stopped shooting when Komaki mentioned Kasahara.

"Dojo?" Komaki looked surprised at the guilty look on Dojo's face. "What happened?"

"Nothing." Dojo answered a little too quickly before he continued shooting.

A crackle came over the radio. _"The reinforcements from the Kantou Library Force has arrived!"_

"Yes!" Komaki smiled in triumph. With the reinforcements, there's no way they'd lose this battle. "Don't worry, Dojo, the MBC will surrender soon. Then you can go check on your little princess."

For once, Dojo didn't get angry at Komaki for making fun of him. And even though Komaki was mostly concentrating on the battle, he certainly didn't miss the look of relief on Dojo's face.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Iku shifted painfully, gritting her teeth, and trying to make as little noise as possible. A bullet was lodged within her arm, and the whole sleeve of her uniform was red because of the blood. She was currently couching on a branch at the top of a tree. When she had fallen off the cliff, thanks to her quick reflexes, she had managed to grab on to a tree root, but had dropped the box of books in the process.

She had climbed down in a rather painful manner, but finding the box was one of her priorities. It didn't take her much time to find it, but when she did, she heard the voices of the MBC who were following her. Iku made a quick decision to hide the box under a rather messy cluster of bushes, then quickly scrambled to the top of the tree in record time. Because she spent much of her childhood climbing trees, she had managed to do so with only one arm.

And now that she was hiding in a tree, she started wondering if that was the smartest thing to do.

_Oh well, it's too late for regrets…so what do I do now?_

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

"What's going on, Sir? Are they retreating?" Tezuka asked the Lieutenant in charge of the snipers. From the roof, they could see the MBC troops moving backwards, shooting only occasionally. The reinforcements they had call in had arrived a while ago, and had quickly turned the tables on the MBC.

The Lieutenant grinned. "That's right. This victory is ours, Tezuka."

But just in case, he kept shooting at the front lines of the MBC as they retreated. When he was sure, he ordered Tezuka to inform the other squads over the radio.

Soon the last MBC van disappeared from view.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Iku almost couldn't stand the burn in her legs any longer. She'd been crouching for a very long time, because the MBC soldiers who had followed her were still around. It seems they were intent on not letting her escape. And with her injured arm, there's no way she would be able to get away with the books.

She shut her eyes, hoping someone would find her and be able to help her. And as usual, the first person that came her mind was Dojo.

"Hey, Takamura, we've been ordered to retreat."

Iku jumped at the unexpected voice. Horrified at the thought that they might have seen the tree moving a little, she froze. But at the same time, she was mentally rejoicing at the fact that they were leaving.

"So soon? Let's stay for a little longer. I want to get my hands on those books. If you're scared of getting in trouble, we can just say our radio broke and we didn't get the message."

She groaned. _Just great._

"Oh, that could work. If we managed to bring back a couple of books, we'll be commended for being the only ones to succeed." He laughed. "Maybe we'll even get promoted!"

Hearing the other troop member agree, Iku couldn't help but roll her eyes. _I thought the Task Force members in our own library were stupid and reckless, but this; this is a whole new level._

She frowned, knowing that her problem still wasn't solved. How was she going to get out of this situation?


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

Dojo waited impatiently as Genda's team hurried back to the library base. The other Task Force members were either resting or cleaning up along with the Murazato Library Defence Force. Standing beside him, Komaki laughed half-heartedly. "So, at the end, we didn't need to follow through the entire plan. The MBC actually retreated before Genda's team left the library vicinities. Well, presuming they actually _did_ leave."

Dojo didn't reply, and crossed his arms in irritation. Komaki didn't say anything more to him, knowing he was already worried enough about a certain Task Force member. Ten minutes later, the members of Genda's team arrived, after leaving the bus with the books in the large vehicle garage. Dojo let out a sigh of relief, then froze up when he noticed the expressions on their faces.

He looked around frantically, and realized that one of his subordinates were not present. Seeing Genda entering the room, he rushed forward to him.

"Major Genda, where's Kasahara?!"

Genda took a deep breath. "Dojo, calm down for a minute. There's been a few complications during the battle and…"

Dojo scowled at his superior. "And?! Where is she? If something happened to her-"

Komaki put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "Dojo, listen to the Major. Let him explain."

Frowning, Dojo looked as if he wanted to retort, but he thought better of it. He muttered an apology.

Genda continued, his frown deepening with each sentence. "Because of some complications, we made a mistake of leaving one box of books behind at the library. Our radio was broken, and we didn't know what the situation was around the library, so I took the risk and…"

Seeing the look in Dojo's eyes, his voice faltered. Yep, even the great Major Genda. But he knew he had no choice but to tell them.

"I sent Kasahara back to get it."

Dojo couldn't take it any longer. "_Alone?!_ You sent her back _alone?!_" Komaki had to keep his hand firm on Dojo's shoulders, just in case he went overboard.

"No, I sent two other troops with her. But according to their reports, after they retrieved the package, they got separated from her. Kasahara current whereabouts are unknown."

Dojo took a deep breath and closed his eyes, as if he needed time to absorb the information and to calm his anger.

"We need to send people to look for her. I'll go." Komaki spoke urgently, and turned to Dojo. "I assume you will be coming along."

"Of course I am!" Dojo snarled at him. Komaki nodded.

"Sir, I'm going too!"

They turned around to see Tezuka, who apparently heard the entire conversation.

Genda nodded his approval. "The three of you will search in the East side of the Library. I'll get more people and we'll search the North side. If we don't find her within an hour, then I'll send in other squads. Go get ready; we leave in five minutes."

He paused before adding, "And bring a handgun just in case."

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

_Bear with it, bear with it, bear with it._ Iku chanted in her head. Her legs were completely numb from kneeling on the branch for too long, and she was afraid to move, fearing she may lose her balance. But the worst problem was the wound in her arm. She had lost a lot of blood, and was starting to feel dizzy as a side effect. The only thing she can use as a tourniquet was her belt, but she was afraid to take the risk to get it.

Iku started mentally cursing the MBC, feeling the urge to just put the blame on someone. Several times, the troops that had followed her had came dangerously close to the tree she was hiding in. Luckily, they couldn't find the box with their half-hearted search attempts, and seemed like they were about to give up sooner or later.

She had no idea how long she'd been hiding; it felt like an eternity. Iku watched as the MBC agents stood from a distance.

"I could've sworn she fell down here somewhere…" One of them spoke with his arms crossed in frustration.

"Give it up. Maybe she managed to escape", the other replied. "Let's go back; the others are waiting for us."

If she wasn't hiding, Iku would've shouted in happiness. Until she heard the voices.

_"Kasahara!"_ Iku froze. _Darn, just when they're about to leave!_

The MBC agents also heard them. They raised and loaded their guns, as if they were planning to shoot at whoever shows up.

_And they will._ Iku knew without a doubt that these agents who shot at her knowing she was weaponless would not hesitate to shoot at any Library Force members. Even though it was dishonourable. But since when had the MBC ever cared about honour?

She started panicking, praying that no one will show up. But the voices were getting louder, and she was able to recognize them.

_"Kasahara!" _

Iku was suddenly filled with an emotion she couldn't identify at the moment. _Instructor Dojo! _But hearing the worry in his voice, she lowered her eyes in guilt.

Remembering the situation they were in, she felt terrified. _The MBC troops have guns! Did they come armed? What if they didn't?!_

She watched in terror as Komaki suddenly stepped into sight, followed by Tezuka. Iku let out a small sigh of relief when she saw the gun Tezuka was carrying.

"Don't move!"

They all froze at the same time. The MBC agent pointed his gun straight at Tezuka.

"Drop your gun!"

Tezuka didn't move immediately and looked at Komaki questionably. Komaki nodded to him, signaling for him to listen to the MBC agent. After all, the agents were holding two guns, and from the looks of it, they seemed to have more guns strapped to their belts. Tezuka was the only one who had a working weapon on him. Not seeing any other options, he carefully set it on the ground.

The MBC agents didn't seem satisfied. "Kick it away from you." When Tezuka glared at him, he held up his gun even higher, as if he was threatening to shoot them. "_Do it!_"

Tezuka complied, and the MBC agents started talking to each other in a low voice.

Still up in the tree, Iku couldn't stop herself from shaking in nervousness. How were they going to get out of this without any casualties?

She shifted a little to make herself more comfortable, but felt her feet slip off the edge of the branch and almost let out a scream. Losing her balance, she fell backwards into the bushes below.

A loud rustling sound was made from the impact, and the MBC agents whirled around.

"Who's there?!"

Iku didn't dare get up. _Darn._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

_Now what?! What do I do?_ Iku was still lying on the ground. When she tried to sit up, the pain in her arm reminded her that she was definitely not in a position to fight.

Peering through the bushes, she can see one of the MBC agents heading towards her direction, and the other pointing his gun at the members of her squad.

Iku had never felt so helpless. It was not only her life that was on the line; there was also the lives of her teammates.

And Dojo.

She looked around fearfully, hoping to see something she can use to defend herself. There was nothing.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Dojo breathed deeply, trying to think through the situation carefully. He knew the MBC should've left a long time ago. The fact that they haven't left yet gave him the notion that they have something to do with Kasahara going AWOL.

His eyes narrowed in rage, and he clenched his fists. When Genda told him that she was missing, he almost went crazy. _If the MBC did anything to her-_

"Dojo, calm down." Komaki whispered, trying to make sure the MBC agents wouldn't notice. He was afraid that Dojo would do something careless and dangerous.

"What are we going to do, Sir?" Tezuka asked calmly.

None of them gave an answer, because one of the agents apparently heard a sound behind him, and yelled, "Who's there?!"

Dojo focused his attention on the bushes behind the MBC agents. _Could it be Major Genda and another squad? Or…Kasahara?_

He watched as one of the agents marched over to where he heard the sound, hoping they'd let their guards down. But no such luck. The other agent stayed behind with his gun pointed straight at them, keeping his eyes sharp for any unnecessary movements.

All of a sudden, he heard the first agent fire his gun once, right into the bushes. His partner spun around in surprise. "What's happening?!"

"I thought I just saw something move! It was just a warning shot to see what it was."

The agent who had been keeping an eye on them had completely turned his back. Dojo saw his chance, and tackled him violently to the ground before he knew what was going on. The agent let out a yell, and tried to fight him back. His partner aimed his gun at them from the distance, so that he would hit Dojo without hurting the other agent.

But before he would pull the trigger, Tezuka dived for his own gun on the ground, and shot him in the wrist with pinpoint accuracy.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Meanwhile, Iku was still hiding behind the bushes, desperately trying to think of how she can help. Luckily, the 'warning shot' had missed her by a far range. When she saw the agent aiming to shoot at Dojo, she almost had the urge to run over and tackle him. Thanks to Tezuka, she didn't need to.

But the relief didn't last long. The MBC agent a few feet away from her was switching his gun from his right hand to his left. Iku gasped in horror, knowing his aim would be worse if he used his non-dominant hand. _He's taking the risk of accidently shooting his own partner just to take out his enemies!_

But right now, all she cared about was the lives of her own teammates.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Dojo was still trying to secure the MBC agent, along with Komaki's help. It was extremely risky to be fighting someone who was armed with two guns and a knife, while they had no weapons at all. Dojo tried to concentrate; it had been a long time since he had come across someone that could be a match even for Genda, with or without weapons.

During their fight, Tezuka tried to take down the other agent, who had hidden behind several trees. Even with his experience as a sniper, it proved to be a difficult for task for him. He kept shooting, until the gun wouldn't shoot out any more bullets. He was out of ammunition.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Ignoring the brutal pain of her bullet wound, Iku leaped out and tackled the agent when Tezuka stopped shooting. Shouting and punching aggressively, she was desperate to get the gun out of his hand without pulling the trigger by accident.

After several more violent kicks and punches, Iku managed to toss the gun away from them. But the MBC agent wasn't finished yet. With something like a war cry, he suddenly lifted her off him and threw her down brutally. To make things worse, Iku landed right on her injured arm. She gasped loudly, and didn't move, immobilized from the pain.

The MBC agent panted heavily, and smirked. "Ha, not bad for a girl. I guess those stupid library forces actually _do_ give decent training."

Cracking open one eyelid, Iku saw the agent walking towards her with a crazed look. Taking a deep breath, she used one last burst of energy to leaped up. Knowing she would not be able to fight at this point, she staggered back a few steps, until she bumped into something. She looked down and saw a metal rack of some sort.

Iku grabbed it just as the agent lunged at her, and swung it as hard as she could, hitting him square in the chest. But out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Dojo and Tezuka running towards her. Because she was distracted, she had barely dodged a punch. Hitting him with the metal rack didn't help at all, since he was wearing a protective vest and she was weakened because of her wound.

She was unable to think clearly now, and just relied on her instincts. Feeling completely vulnerable and weak, she turned and tried to run away, until she heard a sudden gunshot.

It was after Iku landed on the ground that she realized _she_ was the one who was shot at.

_Oh, right. I forgot; he had another gun._

The last thing she heard was Dojo desperately yelling her name.

_"Iku!"_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

At the vending machines in the library, Tezuka sat down heavily, holding a can of beer. Komaki came out of the Task Force office and, seeing his subordinate off at the side, headed towards him.

"Tezuka, it's rare seeing you drink during a break." Komaki observed. "Everything all right?"

He didn't respond. It has been two days since the incident at the Murazato Library. The two MBC agents are currently being 'questioned' at the Kantou Library base. After securing them, Iku was sent to the hospital immediately, but still hasn't woken up after the operation.

Komaki sat down next to him. "I'm sure Kasahara-san is alright. She's the type of person who heals quickly from these kind of things."

"You're right." Tezuka took a sip of beer after nodding again. "But about Instructor Dojo-"

Komaki smiled, but looked a little worried. "Dojo should be fine. Right now, he's just a bit…" His voice faltered.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, until Komaki stood up. "Break time is over. We should get back to work."

"Yes, sir." Tezuka finished his drink and followed him.

When they entered the Task Force office, they were surprised to see all the other members completely silent. Many of them had an uncomfortable expression, and some others seemed to be _too_ focused in their work.

Komaki stopped in the doorway, looking confused. "What's happen-"

"_That's not a valid reason!"_

They all flinched from the sudden shout, which came from inside Genda's private office at the back of the room.

Komaki sighed. "Dojo."

He made his way to the door, and was about to knock when another heated shout erupted.

"Didn't you have any back-up plans?!"

For once, Genda's voice was quieter than Dojo's. "Look, no one was expecting to have this problem in the first place. And Kasahara's alright, so relax a little."

Behind the closed door, Dojo's face was completely red from fury. "_'Alright?!'_ Just how is she _alright?!_ Until she wakes up, she's still considered to be in a critical condition! Just how the hell do you expect me to relax?" Dojo slammed his fist on Genda's table. "I almost saw my own subordinate shot to death before my eyes!"

Genda frowned. "In this career, sooner or later, you're gonna see people shot to death," he told him matter-of-factly. Seeing Dojo's expression at his response, he mumbled, "You're just angry cause you don't think of her as just a subordinate."

Dojo's eyes widened in shock and fury. "_Wha-!_"

The door opened abruptly, and Komaki entered with a grim expression. "Dojo, you can't put the blame on Major Genda. No one knew this was going to happen."

Not knowing what to say, Dojo turned around and stormed out of the office.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Dojo punched the vending machine in anger, making the canned drinks inside clatter from the force. The handful of people who were present looked at him in shock. A few of them started towards him to see if he was alright, but they all turned around when they saw his expression.

He couldn't care less about what they thought. He rubbed his knuckles, which had gotten red from the impact. Dojo sighed, and took out his phone, dialing the phone number of the local hospital.

_"Kantou Central Hospital."_

"I want to ask about the condition of the patient in room 109…"

"The patient is still unconscious after the operation she went through two days ago." There was a pause. "If you don't mind me asking…is this the same person who called an hour ago? To ask about her condition."

Dojo paused. "Uh, yes. That's me."

"And you called quite a number of times yesterday too…"

"That's right."

"If you like, I can put down your phone number so you will be informed as soon as the patient wakes up. That way, it is better than calling every so often."

Dojo felt his face getting a little red. "T-that would be great. Thank you."

After the phone call, he felt just a little calmer. _Kasahara will be fine, _he tried to convince himself. But he still can't get rid of that uncomfortable feeling he had.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Later that day, when Dojo was about to get off work and go home, his cell phone rang. It was a call from the hospital, informing him that Iku had woken up. He breathed a huge sigh of relief before pausing to think over what he should do.

He wanted to go to the hospital, to see for himself that she was alive and well. But at the same time, he hesitated. What if she doesn't want to see him?

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

"Ah-choo!"

Groaning, Iku grabbed another tissue and covered her mouth. After the operation, her body was very weak, and she ended catching a cold as a result. Every time she sneezed, her wounds would hurt a little.

"Keep yourself warm; it's better to heal quickly after getting such injuries." The nurse warned her, while wrapping another layer of bandage around her arm. "Alright, I'm done. By the way, you have visitors outside waiting for you."

Iku looked up at her cheerfully, glad to see her friends again.

The nurse gave Iku a strict warning. "Don't hit your head, understand? I'm sure you don't want to go through another operation."

After the nurse left, Iku smiled as Shibasaki, Tezuka and Komaki entered the room. Seeing that they were the only people that came, Iku tried not to look disappointed. She was hoping _he_ would visit too.

"Kasahara-san, how are you feeling?" Komaki asked her with a smile. Iku shrugged indifferently.

Shibasaki sat down on the chair beside the bed. "You're very lucky, you know? That the second bullet only scraped the side of your head. You'd be dead otherwise." As usual, Shibasaki doesn't beat around the bush.

Iku glared at her. "Don't remind me about that. You don't know how scary it is to have someone point a gun at you from only a meter away!"

"I see your head is perfectly fine. It would be troublesome if you got any stupider than you already are."

Iku could only stare at them in disbelief as Tezuka and Komaki both nodded in agreement.

"Is that the kind of thing you say to an injured person?!"

"Anyways," Shibasaki ignored her and changed the subject. "I'm sure you want to know the outcome of the mission." Iku frowned at her before nodding slightly.

"The higher-ups back at the library are still deciding what to do about the MBC agents that attacked you. As for the books, the ones that you retrieved were brought back to our library, along with the rest of them. I'm sure they're having meetings right now to discuss that."

Shibasaki looked like she wanted to continue giving her information, but stopped when she realized Iku wasn't really listening. She looked at Komaki, and they both nodded at each other.

"I'm going to go get some drinks, and I need to make a phone call too." Shibasaki announced, standing up. On the way to the door, she forcefully grabbed Tezuka, ignoring his stutters, and dragged him out too.

Iku stared after them, looking confused while Komaki sat down in the seat Shibasaki was occupying just moments before.

"Kasahara-san, how are you feeling?"

Iku looked even more baffled. It was the second time he asked that question. "I'm feeling alright. The doctor said I only need to stay for a few more days."

"I'm glad about that, but I wasn't talking about your injuries."

Iku looked down as her face started getting red, feeling the urge to suddenly burst into tears. She knew he was talking about Dojo.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

Komaki stared at her, as if he was expecting her to say something. But Iku didn't know what she was supposed to say.

After thinking it through, she looked up at him. "Is…is he angry?"

Komaki didn't hesitate to answer her. "Of course he is." Iku flinched a little. "But I'm not sure if he's angry at the MBC or at you."

She didn't reply.

"What do you plan to do now? You should think about it." Komaki smiled like he usually would. "Well then, I'll be leaving now. Take care."

After Komaki left Iku's hospital room, he headed towards where Shibasaki and Tezuka were standing. Shibasaki was talking on the phone, but the call ended when Komaki arrived.

Shibasaki looked at him and sighed. "When I called him, he was in a really horrible mood. And apparently, he's busy. But with what, I don't know." She smiled a little. "It's so obvious he's avoiding her."

Komaki chuckled in amusement. "Before, Kasahara-san was avoiding him. Now it's the other way around. But the question is…what should _we_ do?"

Tezuka could only stare in horror as Shibasaki and Komaki started calculating their plans, right there in the middle of the hallway.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Three days later, Iku was finally allowed to leave the hospital. Although most people would leave with high spirits, Iku couldn't help but feel saddened. In the last three days, the person she wanted to see most didn't visit her. And now that she has to go back to work, how is she supposed to face him?

Her head was still wrapped in a bandage, and she could feel a headache starting. The throbbing pain from her arm only made things worse. _Forget it; I'll worry about the other stuff later. I just want to go home and sleep right now._

That night, Iku walked into the mixed section of the dorm after a bath, intending to buy a drink before returning to her room. As she turned around a corner, she bumped into someone. _How typical. Why does that always happen to me?_

She opened her mouth to mutter an apology, then stopped. It was Dojo. Because it was so unexpected, she jumped back and screamed.

"W-what the hell-?" Dojo looked shocked at her reaction.

"I'm sorry, Sir! You just surprised me!" Iku frantically explained. She didn't think she could handle looking him in the eye, so she stared at the ground as she spoke.

Normally, Dojo would have lectured her for being impolite, but this time he didn't say anything. He mumbled an apology, and was turning around to leave when Iku sudden grabbed his arm.

"Instructor Dojo, I'm really sorry!" Iku yelled again.

He looked at her strangely. "I know, you already apologized. It's not that big of a deal."

"Um…I wasn't talking about bumping into you. I meant the mission…" Iku peeked a glance at him, but was shocked to see the sudden anger in his eyes.

Dojo abruptly shook her hand off his arm. "Why are you apologizing about that?"

"We-well, because I didn't make it back in time, you had to go look for me. And then that fight happened...But we're really lucky that no one was seriously injured in that battle…"

He suddenly snapped. "You got shot! _Twice_! You don't call that a serious injury?!"

Iku gulped, feeling extremely nervous. "Well, I didn't stay in the hospital that long, and my injuries should heal soon. So it's not really a big deal," Iku smiled guiltily, "right?"

Dojo slammed a hand on the wall right beside her. "Are you an _idiot_?! You could've been killed! If you died, I -"

He stopped himself before saying something he might regret.

Trying to keep his voice low, he gave her one final warning. "J-just stop relying on instincts for everything! At least use your head a little in these kind of situations!" Not wanting to talk to her any more, he turned around and left.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

"Why are you angry?" Komaki asked, as Dojo picked up a can of beer. They were both in Dojo's room.

After finishing the whole can in several gulps, Dojo glared at him and snarled, "What makes you think I'm angry?!"

Komaki chuckled. "So what did she do this time?"

Dojo looked away. "Who's 'she'?"

"Don't play stupid. Why are you not talking to her?"

Dojo grabbed another can of beer and drank half of it before answering. "I'm not ignoring her or anything. And I just spoke to her 15 minutes ago."

"Ahh, so _that's_ why you're angry!"

"I just said I wasn't angry!"

"Then you're angry because she almost died in that fight. Because she put her own life on the line to save us, right?"

Dojo didn't answer him. He stubbornly looked away and drank his beer.

Komaki kept pressing on. "If Kasahara-san didn't start fighting with the MBC agent, he would've shot us all to death. You know that, so why are you angry with her?"

Dojo looked at him in annoyance. "Since when do you care about these kind of things? I always thought you weren't the type to give lectures."

"I'm not lecturing you. I'm just telling you what you already know subconsciously. Or did you already realize it?"

Just like he had done with Iku, he got up and left before Dojo had the chance to reply.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

"Remind me again. Why do I have to come with you?" Shibasaki asked as she and Iku entered the hospital a few days later.

Iku frowned, surprised that her roommate doesn't understand. "For moral support, of course! It's scary going to a check-up by yourself! What if the doctor suddenly tells me I only have a certain amount of time left?!"

Laughing, Shibasaki looked at Iku. "From the lively way you're speaking, I don't think that's going to happen. You look perfectly fine to me."

But as she was saying that, she couldn't ignore the dark circles under Iku's eyes. For the past couple of days, Iku had been sleep-talking and having nightmares. From the gist of it, she knew it had to do with Dojo. Knowing it was the perfect chance, Shibasaki decided to test the waters a bit. "If you wanted moral support, why didn't you ask Instructor Dojo?"

Iku faltered a bit, and almost tripped on several steps. "H-he's my superior officer, Shibasaki! How can I just casually ask him to go to a check-up with me?"

"I'm sure he would agree if you asked nicely. It's not like you're asking him out on a date or something."

Iku didn't know how to respond to that, so she quickly looked at her watch. "W-we should hurry! I'm almost late!" And leaving her roommate behind, she quickly broke into a run to the hospital.

Shibasaki raised her eyebrows. _With the way she's acting, she doesn't really need a check-up. And idiots heal quickly, don't they?_

As soon as they entered the hospital, Iku was led to a small room. To her disappointment, Shibasaki couldn't go with her even for moral support, so she waited outside.

Iku couldn't remember much about what happened afterwards. All she knew was that the doctor kept talking to her non-stop about her injuries, and that her bandages are going to be changed after the check-up. Throughout the entire process, her mind kept wandering back to Dojo, and Komaki's 'advice'.

She calmly thought everything through, ignoring the painful feelings and the urge to cry. After all, it would be extremely awkward if she started crying randomly in the hospital room.

After getting her bandages replaced, she was putting her sweater back on when she heard the door open.

"Kasahara, are you done?" Since she was changing, the curtains were drawn and she couldn't see the door. But she recognized Shibasaki's voice.

"Yeah, almost." Iku's reply seemed a little dejected; something Shibasaki seemed to notice.

"Is everything fine?"

Iku didn't reply immediately. "Shibasaki…if you like someone, it should be because that person is, well, the way they are, right?" Even if it was a little awkward, she was able to say it because she knew Shibasaki couldn't see her face from behind the curtain.

"Sure, however you want to word it."

"I had a lot of trouble when I realized the truth about Instructor Dojo. How should I talk to him about it?" Iku started sounding very panicky. "And he's mad at me right now, too!"

"'Mind over matter'." Shibasaki said, sounding smart as usual. "Have you ever heard of that saying?"

"Uh, yeah. It's something about how you can do anything if you put your mind to it. What does that have to do with anything?"

Shibasaki laughed. "Don't you realize how much it suits you? You're the kind of idiot that rushes into things without using their head first, but can still accomplish something because they put their mind to it."

"Shibasaki, is that a compliment or an insult?"

"Interpret it as you wish."

Iku still had some things on her mind. "About Instructor Dojo, I think…"

She was so into her thoughts, that she didn't hear the door quietly opening.

"…I think I'm in love with him." She sounded like she wanted to cry. "But he's really mad at me right now, cause of what happened during the mission. And he didn't talk to me for the last few days too. Before, I avoided him because I just found out he was my prince, but now he's the one doing the avoiding! I can't even talk to him anymore!"

Iku, desperate for advice, pulled away the curtains. "What should I do, Shibasa-"

At that moment, Iku suddenly felt the urge to run away screaming in horror. Because instead of seeing her roommate and best friend…she saw Instructor Dojo.

And she knew, without a doubt, that he just heard _everything_ she said.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

"Ah, Shibasaki-san," Komaki greeted her as she entered the small bookstore. "How is it going?"

Shibasaki laughed and gave him the thumbs up. "I called him and asked him to pick her up at the hospital just now. He arrived just when we were in a middle of a conversation, so I left. I don't think Kasahara realized though."

Komaki laughed along. "I see, then what happened afterwards?"

"That's a good question. She was actually talking about her feelings towards Dojo and such. I wonder if he heard anything."

"I see." Komaki picked up a book from a shelf and glanced through it. "Still, I wonder if what we did…"

Shibasaki knew what he meant. "But if we don't take this step, none of them would do anything. If you really think about it, we didn't really do _that_ much. We just brought them closer together, that's all."

Nodding, he returned the book back to the shelf. "True enough." He smiled again. "I can't wait to see how Dojo will handle this."

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

_Noooooo! What have I done?!_ Iku mentally screamed at herself as she ran through the streets. After realizing that Dojo was present throughout the second part of her speech, she had quickly ran away without thinking, leaving him staring in shock in the hospital room.

She stopped at the top of a footbridge, leaning against the railing and staring at the cars below. _I'm so stupid! Now he knows everything! Everything!_

Thinking back to what she said, Iku screamed out of frustration, catching the attention of other people around. She ignored them, not caring if she looked like she wanted to end her life by jumping off the bridge. Gripping the railing as if her life depended on it, she yelled again.

After a few minutes, Iku left, not caring where she would go.

As she walked, her pace slowed down, and her vision blurred because of her tears. _Now what? He knows that I realized he's my prince. And he knows I li-lik-like him._ Even inside her mind, she couldn't admit it without stuttering.

Iku arrived at a small park, and started sobbing because she knew there was no one else around. She sat down, hiding directly under the slide, and brought her knees to her chest.

She stayed there until nightfall.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Shibasaki was combing her hair in the room she shared with Iku, when she heard the loud footsteps of someone running down the corridor. _Ah, she's finally back._

"_Shibasakiiii!_" Iku yelled as soon as she slammed open the door. Her eyes were puffy and red, and Shibasaki could tell with one glance, exactly what happened after she left the hospital.

"Welcome back, Kasahara." She smiled at her cheerfully. "You barely made it back before curfew. Where were you?"

"This isn't the time for that! Why did you leave without telling me? Why was Instructor Dojo there? Did you know he was coming?_ Why was he there?!_" The questions all poured out of Iku's mouth.

"Whoa, one question at a time, please. As smart as I am, even I can't answer them all at once."

"This isn't the time to joke around!"

"Fine, fine. I knew he was coming to the hospital. But why you're so angry about it, I just can't figure out." Shibasaki decided to play innocent for now.

"_He heard_! Everything I said!" Iku's eyes got teary again.

"And what exactly did you say?"

Iku didn't answer her question, and concentrated on trying to stop her tears. Walking past her roommate, she climbed under the covers and curled up in a ball again. _This is horrible! What should I do?_

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Komaki sat in Dojo's room again, drinking. "Why aren't you saying anything, Dojo?"

"I've got nothing to say."

"I see," Komaki smiled suspiciously. "I heard you went to the hospital to pick up Kasahara-san. I'm glad to know that you're not avoiding her anymore."

Dojo froze, and Komaki didn't miss the tiny blush on his face.

"Er-, yeah." Dojo continued drinking after mumbling a reply.

Komaki hid a smile as he drank from his can. _There's no doubt about it. He definitely knows about Kasahara-san's feelings._

After Komaki left, Dojo sat on his bed, reflecting on what Kasahara had accidentally said to him. He had difficulty admitting it to himself, but hearing what she had said, he felt happy. More than happy, actually.

But still, he'd never say that out loud.

Except now, the problem was Kasahara. As soon as she ran away, he knew she was going somewhere to cry. Shocked at what he heard, he didn't follow her immediately. When he came to his senses, she, being one of the fastest runners of the Task Force, had been long gone.

Dojo laid back on his bed, and spent a long time deciding on the best course of action to take.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

In the morning, Iku got up very reluctantly. She looked at herself in the mirror, and was not surprised to see her eyes all swollen. Sighing, she picked up her towel, intending to use cold water to try to fix the redness.

Iku froze when she realized that her swollen eyes were the least of her problems. What was she going to do about Dojo?

When she entered the office an hour later, she took a quick glance around, glad to see that he was not in sight. Iku quickly ran to her seat, wondering just _how_ she was going to avoid meeting him for the rest of the day.

"Kasahara-san, good morning."

Iku, who wasn't expecting anyone to talk to her, almost screamed.

"In-Instructor Komaki!" She sighed in relief. "Good morning."

He smiled optimistically. "You're on time today. Keep it up. You wouldn't want Dojo to yell at you again." Komaki noticed that she cringed at the mention of his name.

"Komaki, Kasahara." Dojo called as he headed towards them. Komaki smirked evilly. _Perfect timing, Dojo._ He quickly made up an excuse on the spot.

"Dojo, I have to see Major Genda about something. See you later." Iku looked like she was about to faint when she saw Komaki leaving. Dojo frowned, sensing something suspicious about him, but turned his attention to Iku.

She gulped, stepped back, then turned around with the intention of 'getting back to work'.

"Kasahara." She stopped. _Darn, that was so close! Ugh, I don't really want to talk to him right now._

Iku forced herself to look at him, but not directly in the eye.

"Stay after work today. There's something we have to talk about." Dojo said, noticing that her eyes were a little red and swollen. He clenched his fists, knowing that she had spent all night crying.

Because of him.

"Y-yes, Sir!" Iku saluted, then quickly escaped back to her desk. The two of them did not speak again for the rest of the day.

But unfortunately for Dojo, there happened to be a meeting for all the squad leaders near the end of the day. When Iku heard the news, she collapsed on her desk out of relief. She had managed to avoid speaking to him for almost a whole day.

Iku closed her eyes in exhaustion. _How much longer do I have to keep this up?_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

Iku had another stroke of luck. The next day was Saturday, so she didn't have to go to work. Although she would've liked to take a jog in the morning to clear her head, she decided against it. What if she bumped into Dojo?

She got down and tried to do push-ups. After a couple of tries, she gave up, not wanted to injure her already wounded arm any further.

She sat down after grabbing a book off her table, intending to read to pass the time. But after three minutes, she tossed it on her bed, completely unable to concentrate.

Shibasaki watched her while enjoying a fresh cup of tea. "How long are you planning to stray cooped up in this room? For the rest of your life?"

Iku sat down in front of the table and poured herself a cup. "Shut up, I can do what I want."

Her roommate laughed. "Fine, you can do what you want. It's such a waste of youth though."

Iku groaned, and put her head down on the table, looking miserable and bored out of her mind.

"If you keep acting this way, even Instructor Dojo will start worrying about you. You wouldn't want that to happen, would you?" Shibasaki looked at her intently.

"B-But Instructor Dojo would only worry because I'm him s-subordinate." Iku struggled to keep her voice sounding normal. "T-to him, I'm nothing more than that."

"And why would you think that?"

Iku looked up at her in surprise. "Why do you even need to ask that?! From Day 1, I've always caused trouble for him! And I argue with him all the time! A-and…"

As she continued on, Shibasaki decided it was time to interfere and put her plan into action. She grabbed a tissue and stuffed it in Iku's face.

"Kasahara, since you're bored, why don't you go somewhere? Didn't you say a few weeks ago that a book you wanted would be released today?"

"Oh… did I?" Iku sounded completely dead. "I don't really recall…"

"You did." Shibasaki insisted. "Go to the bookstore or wherever you want. Do something."

Sighing, Iku lazily got up and muttered, "Fine. The bookstore, right?"

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

She picked up a book, glanced at it, and put it down less than five seconds later. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't concentrate on anything; her mind always going back to Dojo.

On the way to the store, she had reflected on her thoughts and actions. She avoided Dojo because she believed he'd reject her. And getting rejected just after realizing her feelings for him had been too much for her to deal with. She didn't get the chance to accept reality.

Iku nearly started crying again. She quickly headed towards the exit of the bookstore, intending to leave as soon as possible. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her sunglasses so her red and swollen eyes wouldn't be seen.

In front of the door, Iku suddenly bumped into someone. _Great, just when I was about to leave._ Her head was down, so she didn't see who it was. Not in the mood to apologize, she tried to walk past him.

But an arm suddenly wrapped around her waist. "Kasahara!"

She looked up, and through her shades, she saw the last person she wanted to see at the moment.

"I-instructor D-Dojo-! Ah-_ahhh!_" Iku yelled, and without thinking, forcefully pushed away his arm and ran outside as fast as possible.

_What is _he_ doing here?! What horrible timing, too!_ She could hear him running after her this time.

"Kasahara, wait!"

She didn't slow down.

He kept yelling at her. "You know I can't catch up if you run away that quickly!"

Iku blinked back tears as she turned a corner, hoping to get rid of him.

_"Do you plan on avoiding me for the rest of your life?!"_

Hearing that sentence, Iku subconsciously slowed down. _Didn't Shibasaki say something like that earlier?_ He caught up, and grabbed her arm, making sure she wouldn't run away again.

Iku winced. Dojo had grabbed onto her injured arm, but he didn't seem to notice though. His mind was on something else.

With no other way out, Iku decided to just face him. "I'm very sorry, Instructor Dojo!"

Dojo looked surprised. _Why is she apologizing?_

"A-About that day at the hospital," Iku stuttered. "U-um…you can j-just forget about what I said!"

He stared at her, dumbfounded. Whatever he was expecting her to say, that was definitely _not_ it. But he needed her to answer his question.

"Is it true, though? What you said at the hospital."

She didn't answer, and stared at the ground instead. She didn't have the energy left to run away. Her eyes were completely filled with tears now, but she knew he couldn't see since she was wearing sunglasses.

Seeing her completely silent, Dojo asked again, desperate to know how she feels about him. "Kasahara, answer me." It sounded a bit like a command.

Still looking away from him, she nodded once, slowly.

Dojo relaxed a little, but he wasn't done with the questions. "Then why are you running away from me?"

She blinked. _Is he seriously asking that?_

He gritted his teeth. "I didn't even reply to you yet. So stop avoiding me." His grip on her arm tightened, as if he was afraid she would do the opposite of what he just asked.

Iku's face started getting red. "You don't need to reply! Really." Her voice started shaking, and her attempts to hide it were futile. "I-it's f-fine."

Dojo's eyes narrowed. "You blockhead! You're not supposed to say those things to someone, then tell them you don't want a reply. It doesn't work that way, idiot!"

"B-but I don't wanna hear a reply." Iku mumbled incoherently, but he heard every word.

"Kasahara," Dojo's hands reached up towards her sunglasses. "A-are you crying?"

Iku's hand flew up, trying to stop him from taking off her glasses, but she was too late. Seeing her tears, he whispered, "Idiot." Before she could react, he pulled her into a hug and laughed humorlessly. "You're pretty difficult to deal with, you know?"

She frowned, trying to understand what he was thinking. His words and actions don't really seemed to be conveying the same messages. "…I don't understand."

Iku heard him sigh in disappointment. "As usual, you need me to explain everything."

She bit her lip, not sure of what to think. He hesitated a little before speaking.

"You…you don't have to run away; I'm not going to reject you if that's what you're afraid of." Sighing, he hugged her tighter. "You blockhead. Ever heard of the term 'mutual feelings'?"

Iku froze. _Is he saying…_

As she was thinking that, he mumbled three words into her ears. But just then, a minivan playing music at full blast drove right by, making Iku blink in surprise.

She blushed, finally realizing what he was trying to tell her, but-

"I didn't hear the second part."

Dojo let her go, stepping back and glaring at her. "Blockhead! I'm not saying it again!" He turned around, but Iku could see a tiny blush on his cheeks.

"But-"

He scowled. "No means no! Don't even think about asking!"

Dojo grabbed her hand, and started walking in a random direction. Behind him, Iku smiled, then laughed.

"What's so funny?!"

She tightened her grip on his hand. "Nothing."

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Standing further away from where they are, Shibasaki grinned as she watched. She turned around to look at Komaki, who was on the other side of the street, and gave him a thumbs up.

She smiled again in satisfaction.

_Took them long enough._

Komaki, who wasn't able to see the scene, sighed in disappointment. But he quickly became cheerful again, knowing his plan worked.

Tezuka, who was dragged there by Shibasaki, stared at him in shock. "Instructor Komaki, is this what you wanted to happen when you asked the Major to-"

Komaki smiled mysteriously. "Maybe."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

As soon as Iku and Dojo walked into the office on the next day of work, Komaki burst out laughing as all the other Task Force members started grinning.

"Haha, they came to work together!"

"Aww, just look at them."

Iku froze. They weren't holding hands or anything, so how do they know?

Shibasaki, who was there for no particular work-related reasons, smiled at them. "Ah, Kasahara. I'm sorry, I accidentally mentioned it to Major Genda."

Iku stared at her. _'Accidentally' mentioned it?! And to Major Genda, of all people!_

Dojo couldn't even say a word as everyone continued making fun of them. Just then, thunderous footsteps could be heard coming towards the office. The door burst open and Genda appeared.

"Why is it so loud in here?! People, get to work-" He stopped midsentence when he saw Dojo and Iku in the center of attention. Immediately, he started grinning.

"Dojo! Kasahara! Haha, how's it going?!" He started laughing along with Komaki.

Dojo cleared his throat. "Major, I believe we have a lot of work to complete…" He started heading towards his desk.

"Don't be so serious! I mean, it's only about time that you and Kasahara-"

"Major Genda!" Dojo looked slightly annoyed at his superior officer. "Right now we're should be doing our job, instead of talking about irrelevant things."

Genda looked incredibly amused. "'Irrelevant?!' This isn't irrelevant! Why, I'm sure, if it weren't for Komaki who came with up with the battle plan for the mission, you guys wouldn't have gotten together so quickly!" He laughed again, then stopped when he saw the look on their faces.

Iku looked like she was about to faint, and Dojo was frozen, staring at him with his eyes wide.

"…What?"

Iku opened and closed her mouth a few times, not completely sure of what she should say. "_I-I-instructor Komaki_ came up with the battle plan?!"

Genda looked at them oddly. "That's right." He laughed again. "That was one awesome plan, too! I always knew he had it in him!" He continued laughing as he returned to his office.

Iku was still staring into space, trying to absorb the information. _Instructor Komaki! It was him all along! I should've known!_

Dojo's face was red, from both embarrassment and slight anger. He whirled around, looking for Komaki, but he was nowhere in sight. He stormed out of the room, intending to interrogate him as soon as he finds him.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

As soon as lunch break started, Iku walked out into the hallway, still in a daze. _It was Instructor Komaki…_

She stopped and frowned. _What about Shibasaki? If she didn't tell me to go to the bookstore the other day…and she suddenly disappeared at the hospital check-up…_

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. She quickly headed towards the lunch room, deciding that the best way to find out was to ask her.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Holding her lunch, Iku decided to eat while waiting for Shibasaki. Although she was curious, the level of her hunger was much higher. She noticed Dojo and Komaki two tables away, but she decided to sit at the usual spot she shared with her roommate.

As soon as Shibasaki arrived, she attacked her with a load of questions.

"Shibasaki! What happened that day at the hospital check-up?! How did Instructor Dojo know I was there?! Did you tell him?! Why did you insist I go to the bookstore?! Was it all planned?! It seems a little too much to be a coincidence!"

Shibasaki laughed. "So you finally realized? But you know, without my help, and Instructor Komaki's interference and brilliant planning, you never would've gotten a boyfriend so quickly."

"What?! You were doing everything behind my back?!" Iku's face was completely flushed. "Wait…but all Instructor Komaki did was come up with the battle plan. Wh-" She paused when she saw an evil smirk suddenly appear on Shibasaki's face.

"_What?!_"

They turned to see Dojo up on his feet, staring at Komaki with a disbelieving look.

"You changed all my schedules?!"

Smiling, Komaki motioned for him to sit back down. "I didn't change them all, I just made a couple of small adjustments."

Sitting down, Dojo put his head in his hands and muttered. "I thought it was weird that the dentist's appointment I had the other day was suddenly canceled."

He suddenly looked up. "Wait a minute. There was also the book you wanted me to pick up for you at the bookstore…"

Komaki smiled. "There was no such book to begin with."

Iku and Dojo looked at each other as Shibasaki and Komaki started laughing.

Neither of them could form coherent thoughts.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

"I can't believe it was them all along…" Iku mumbled as she and Dojo made their way back to the dorms.

Dojo sighed, and glanced at her. "But from what you've told me, Shibasaki made it pretty obvious. Why didn't you realize?"

"What? How could I know she was that…underhanded? And what about you? Didn't you hear from her about the hospital check-up? Why didn't _you_ realize?"

He hesitated. "I-idiot. My mind was…preoccupied."

"Preoccupied? By what?" Iku pouted, muttering, "You should've realized."

Dojo sighed. _Even now, she's still as clueless as ever. And that Shibasaki, she actually had the guts to lie to me about Iku's injuries getting worse. _

He reached up and patted Iku's head warmly. "You blockhead!"

"Huh? What did I do?"


End file.
